The Unicorn’s Tears

In light of Phil’s 12-25 request (and giving it a generous interpretation), it seems like a good idea to end 2008 with a story. Written in 1988 on an old Underwood electric typewriter at a motel in Santa Ana, California, no editor ever seemed to like it.  But it holds a special place in my personal favorites, and you might consider it a sort of “mission statement.”

2008 was its 20th Anniversary.

a short story
by Hart Williams
1550 words © 1988

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It was in a faraway place, and another time, but then, aren’t they always?

Let’s All Help the GOP Out

who’s “behind” the ‘Magic Negro’ controversy?

I don’t know why this is, perhaps a character failing of mine: but that which seems so blatantly obvious to me ofttimes seems utterly opaque to those for whom I write.

This isn’t any slam on you, Dear Reader. I have always been cursed with this strange brain that sees a line of dominoes and instantly leaps down the Implication Steps, less a Slinky® than a kangaroo. So, perhaps I’d better be less opaque:

Rush Limbaugh wrote ‘Magic Negro’ Parody

Michelle Malkin, the Kewpie Doll from Hell™ has her panties in a bunch that anybody OTHER than Michelle Malkin has their panties in a bunch:

Rationalize This

Collective punishment is a War Crime:

Collective Punishment

No general penalty, pecuniary or otherwise, shall be inflicted upon the population on account of the acts of individuals for which they cannot be regarded as jointly and severally responsible.

Rushing to Limbo — Revisited

I’ve dealt with this before, of course, the Rush Limbaugh “Magic Negro” song that’s once again roiling the RNC waters.

From April 13, 2007 (on “Zug” the previous incarnation of this blog):

Right click and “save as”

1.4 megs, 2:57, FM quality stereo .mp3. Originally titled—with unintended irony—”Tolerance.” As usual, there are no easy answers, and you will have to think for yourself.

It was a simple “compare and contrast” of Don Imus’ “nappy headed ho’s” comment on his radio show, and Limbaugh’s blatantly racist stuff on HIS radio show at the same time. I wasn’t defending Imus, but asking, “How come Limbaugh gets a pass for far more offensive material?”

Christmas On Vicodin®

I am not at my regular computer.

The reason for this is that I am upstairs writing on this accursed laptop piece of shite. The reason for this is

A Faux Kringle Chronicle

I wrote this little Christmas story for the year-end meeting of a writers’ group that I attend. It is a short-short science fiction Christmas story, about 800 words. — HW

Guess Who’s Coming For Christmas?

Most of you remember the terror, and how it began. Sheerest chance that the invaders appeared at that time of year, or that they arrived at Pismo Beach, California at a shopping mall.

Most of it’s been declassified now, so I can fill in the spots you don’t know. I was working as a tech at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, so I know the whole story.

The Day That Is A Night

Nothing like a bad visual pun.

If you haven’t listened to the Radio Play, go back to yesterday and click on the link.

And leave milk and cookies out for Santa. He’s a sucker for milk and cookies.

Courage.

‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ sort of …

NOTE: Here’s a complete Christmas Radio Play for you for FREE, originally broadcast on KOPT-AM in Eugene, Oregon on 23 Dec 05. If you’re in a hurry, scroll to the bottom to listen to it.

Here’s a Christmas Story about a Christmas story….

Once upon a time, unburdened by spouses, children, or –  as I would soon learn, profession — I rented an office in the shadow of the Griffith Park Observatory, in Hollywood.  Sarno’s, a famous Italian “opera” restaurant, was right down the alley, and if the kitchen door was open — as it often was in the hot months — you could hear singers showing off their pipes.

Once a Dick, Always a Dick

In the news, today:

Cheney, Needling Biden, Defends Bush’s Record on Executive Power
New York Times - 3 hours ago
By RACHEL L. SWARNS WASHINGTON – Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday vigorously defended the White House’s use of broad executive powers during the last eight years, saying he believed that historians would ultimately look favorably on the Bush …

Ahh, but they’re being far too kind:

Ryan Powers / Think Progress:

Cheney: I told Leahy to ‘f*ck’ himself because ‘I thought he merited it.’ —  This morning on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace asked Vice President Cheney about his now infamous June 2004 exchange with Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT), when he told Leahy to “f*ck yourself.”

I’m not going to talk about the miscreant veep’s behavior today. Andrew Sullivan has as good a take on the debacle on Faux Nooz as anybody.

But, since it IS his swan song, I might as well reprint this piece from 2006, which the vast majority of my readers haven’t seen. From Skiing Uphill, the original incarnation of this blog (in keeping with the spirit of the Holidays), the story of when Dick Cheney screamed at my brother and I, and then my father over, well, none of his business :

A Blog about Booking

A Happy or profound Winter Solstice to one and all.*

[* Alas, the Solstice Schooner is powered by magic voles, and they can't carry much in the way of payload, so not a lot of Solstice gifts will be riding with Chronos the Happy Solsticeman again this year -- which undoubtedly explains CtheHS's relative obscurity in the popular media. According to the U.S. Naval Observatory: Solstice  Dec   21 @ 12:04 UT (GMT)  7:04 AM ET  4:04 AM PT]

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